


A Cup of Coffee and You

by writingthoughts



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Bakery and Coffee Shop, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 02:17:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23004169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingthoughts/pseuds/writingthoughts
Summary: Laura Hollis was supposed to meet someone else in the cafe that morning.She met Carmilla instead.And nothing would ever be the same again for both women.Carmilla Coffee Shop AU
Relationships: Laura Hollis/Carmilla Karnstein
Comments: 35
Kudos: 185





	A Cup of Coffee and You

It was a bright Monday morning in February, and Laura Hollis was checking her reflection in the window of Karnstein’s Kafé one last time. There was still thirty minutes before her first class of the day, plenty of time to order a coffee and maybe engage in a little bit of flirting with Danny, the tall dreamy redhead who had served her the previous week at the artisanal coffee shop. It wasn’t the sort of place she usually frequented as the drinks were unbelievably expensive, and they didn’t seem to have any modern equipment; everything seemed to be brewed on an old fashioned hob behind the counter, using coffee pots and other items that looked centuries old.

With a set up like that, it was no wonder Danny was rubbish at making coffee, hot chocolate or even tea for that matter, Laura reasoned. However, the woman was so smooth about it that Laura was willing to let it pass, especially as Danny was a fellow Canadian and an English TA in Silas University. She had offered to sit with Laura that morning to help her out with the problems she claimed to have with her Beowulf assignment, problems that Laura may have exaggerated a little (a lot).

“Come on Hollis, girl the hell up,” she muttered to herself before adjusting her bag and pushing the door open. She winced a little with the effort; her neck and back were still a bit stiff from the car accident back home in Canada. That was something she didn’t want to think about right now and she shoved the door a little harder than was necessary, causing the woman nearest the entrance to sigh at her before returning to her coffee and croissants.

As the café door shut behind her, Laura was delighted to see that the place was almost empty, and there was only a short line to the cashier. However, there was no sign of Danny. She hung back to let two people in front of her, but there was still no sign of her. Eventually, Laura found herself next.

“Excuse me, but are you going to order anytime soon?” said an exhausted voice.

“Could I have- “

Words failed Laura as she noticed the barista for the first time.

How had she not noticed the incredibly attractive woman from the moment she had entered the café? Laura had been in the town of Silas for nearly two years, but she couldn’t have missed someone like her. Where had she been?

She had shoulder-length black hair and bangs that were just a little too long which she tried to brush away from a pair of dark brown eyes. But despite her evident tiredness, the woman smiled at her while resting her hand under her chin, and Laura found herself grinning back like a fool.

Why was she here again?

“Coffee,” declared Laura suddenly. “I want coffee. Do you do coffee?”

The barista recoiled slightly as Laura flailed her arms around, causing her bag to fall off her shoulder. When she realised how foolish she probably looked, Laura dropped her eyes to the floor, silently begging it to open up and swallow her. The floor unobligingly remained as it was.

“This is a café, Cutie. I think we can rustle up some coffee for a pretty girl,” replied the barista with a teasing smirk on her face.

“Oh!” said Laura. “Good. That’s good. It would be a weird café that didn’t provide coffee for its customers.”

_God, can you just shut up before she thinks you’re crazy? Wait, did she just call me Cutie? Whatever else you do, just don’t start giggling._

“No doubt,” said the barista smoothly. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, which caused Laura to notice that the barista’s cheeks were a little pink. Were they like that already, she wondered? No matter, the woman was still beautiful, and as for that voice? Laura would happily listen to the woman reciting the phone directory all day.

“And what kind of coffee would you like, Cutie?”

Laura blanked. Staring up at the menu board, she saw that there was a bewildering variety of coffees available. What had Danny made for her? Laura didn’t even like coffee that much. Could she make a run for it before embarrassing herself further?

“Um…”

“I can make you the house blend if you’d like.”

“Yes, that’s fine. That’s what I always get,” said Laura.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the barista turned away to prepare her coffee. As she looked around the café though, the heavy bag on her shoulder reminded her that she was supposed to meet Danny.

“Excuse me. I was supposed to meet someone else this morning. A red-haired girl who works here?”

“Perry!” shouted the barista without turning.

_Perry?_

A door behind the counter opened, and a woman with curly red hair poked her head out. “Yes, Carmilla?”

“There’s a woman here to see you,” said Carmilla, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

“Can I help you, dear?” she asked while wiping her hands with a towel.

“You’re not Danny,” Laura blurted.

There was silence in the café until Carmilla suddenly slammed down the coffee pot. Perry’s eyes narrowed as she stared at Laura.

“I’m sorry, but she no longer works here.”

Laura couldn’t help but notice that Perry didn’t look in the least bit sorry. 

“Oh,” said Laura. There was no further explanation from Perry, and she returned to the kitchen, closing the door a little harder than seemed strictly necessary.

Laura willed someone else to come into the café to dispel the awkward atmosphere as she leaned on the end of the counter, but no one did. She glared sullenly at the back of Carmilla’s head; how long more was she going to be with her coffee? But Laura’s eyes widened in surprise as her gaze travelled down and saw the barista was wearing leather pants under her apron. She cocked her head to one side for a better look and regretted the move immediately as she felt a twinge of pain in her neck.

“Take a picture, Cutie; it’ll last longer.”

The barista’s tone was different now. It was sharper and a lot less friendly.

“Gah!” cried Laura. “I wasn’t looking at your ass.”

“Smooth Sundance, real smooth. I never mentioned my ass, but good to know where you were looking anyway.”

“I…you can’t…I didn’t come in here to be spoken to like this!”

“Oh really? And why did you come in? Were you planning to flirt with Big Red like the rest of her study buddies?”

Laura was outraged. Okay, that was the main reason she came in, but she didn’t care to be called out on it by this woman. She also felt like a complete fool; her old roommate Betty had warned her that Danny had a bit of a reputation around campus as a lady-killer, and she hadn’t wanted to believe it.

“Excuse me, but who the hell are you?” Laura sputtered. “Give me your name because I am speaking to the owner about you.”

The barista turned to stare at her for a moment before smirking and Laura knew she had made a mistake.

“That bunched up face you’re making is hilarious, sweetheart. As for my name, it’s on the sign above the door as you walk in.”

_Oh. Great!_

“Oh crap,” she groaned. “Ms. Karnstein, I am so very sorry…”

As if sensing Laura’s distress, Carmilla’s expression softened.

“Ms. Karnstein was my mother, Cutie. You can call me Carmilla. And what’s your name?”

Of course, even her name was beautiful compared to her own plain one. “Laura,” she mumbled.

“Laura,” purred Carmilla.

Or maybe not when someone said it that way, Laura thought.

“I am so sorry for being a jerk. I swear I’m not usually like that-”

“Pfth. You should have seen the giant redhead this morning when I fired her. I confronted her with video footage of her robbing from the till, footage that I spent all night reviewing while I checked my till records. Now she was a real jerk. As soon as I finish the shift she was supposed to do, I’ll be contacting the Dean's office and the police because I’ve enough proof to get her student visa revoked and have her deported.”

“Oh!”

“Wait a minute: is that another Canadian accent I hear? Was she a good friend of yours, by any chance?”

“No, never. I barely knew the girl. A complete stranger, actually. She sounds like a total bitch. Hey, you know what? I think she may have been from the jerkface part of Canada.”

Carmilla starred at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.

 _Oh my God! I made a pretty girl laugh. Life doesn’t get any better than this_.

“Cutie, you’re something else,” replied Carmilla. “Here, one regular coffee, house blend.”

Laura handed over her last ten euro note to the barista, furious with herself at the amount of money she’d already handed over to Danny the previous week. As Carmilla rang it up on the register, Laura peeled off the lid and took a quick sip from the cup.

“Oh, my God!”

“Everything okay there, Cutie?”

“This is amazing! I don’t drink it that often, but this is probably the best coffee I have ever tasted.”

The smile was back again. “Here, try it again with this,” she said. Using a copper coloured sugar tongs, Carmilla placed two dark brown lumps of sugar in the cup, and Laura took another sip. It wasn’t as sweet as regular sugar, but it perfectly complemented the coffee's mild roast. “Wow, this is so good,” Laura groaned. “Even better than sex.”

“I think you must be doing it wrong, Cutie.”

Laura spluttered as some of the coffee went the wrong way. The barista deftly snatched the cup out of her hand and began laughing as Laura bent over with a paroxysm of coughing. The sudden movement was a little painful, and she glared at the barista as she slowly straightened up.

“That’s not funny,” said Laura, trying to sound stern.

“You’re right, Cutie. It is not funny. It is, however, hilarious.”

Laura wanted to be annoyed, but the barista’s laugh was so sweet and carefree as she poured out more coffee that she couldn’t help feeling charmed by her.

“Want to try something else, Cutie?”

“Of course,” replied Laura. “Anything.”

“Again, good to know. But I was talking about your coffee.”

“I knew that!”

Carmilla laughed again as she added a blob of hand-whipped cream to the coffee. Once she was satisfied, she passed it back to Laura who found it even better than the last cup. But as she took a larger sip, her eyes strayed to the clock behind the counter. The time was 08:55.

“Oh, frick!”

“You don’t like it?” said Carmilla, looking worried.

“No. This is wonderful,” replied Laura. “But I’m going to be late for my history lecture. Vordie is going to kill me.”

“Cornelius Vordenberg? Old as dirt and always ends up talking about the Austro-Hungarian Empire no matter what the topic?”

“Ugh, yes. He’s going to fail me if I’m late again.”

“He might. I had him for History too when I was doing night classes for my master’s in philosophy, and he was a real stickler for rules. But don’t worry, I have an idea.”

Carmilla picked another cup from the stack and grabbed the most unusual cafetière Laura had ever seen. Apart from looking like something from a museum, what drew her attention was the straight wooden handle bolted to the side. As Carmilla tipped the contents into the cup and frothed it with a wooden whisk, Laura realised it was for hot chocolate. It smelled even nicer than her coffee.

“Give him this when you go in and tell him that it's compliments of the countess. It’s an old joke between his family and mine,” she explained when Laura frowned in puzzlement.

To Laura’s relief, Carmilla refused to let her pay for Vordenberg’s drink or her own. “Your first refill is free,” she said with a wink. “I think you’re going to be one of my best customers.”

“You are unbelievable, Carmilla. What makes you so sure I’ll be back?”

“You won’t be able to resist this place, Cutie. I have a good feeling about that.”

Laura almost dropped the drinks while trying to get out the door, but she managed to make it somehow. She raced across the road, through the main entrance of Silas and up one flight of stairs to the auditorium where Prof Vordenberg was just about to start his lecture.

“This is completely unacceptable, Miss Hollis,” he shouted as she staggered into the room. “And did I not state on my very first day that there was to be no food and drink in my class?”

Laura’s hand was shaking as she handed him the hot chocolate.

“But what is this? Can it be?” he whispered. “Oh, wonderful girl! You are a veritable Marie Therese amongst women. Please give the countess my best regards next time you see her. Sit, sit. I have only just begun.”

Laura gave him a tight-lipped smile as she lowered herself carefully into her usual seat at the front. She took a sip of her coffee that, although it had cooled slightly, still tasted as delicious as ever. As she drained the cup, she began to feel more alert; even Vordenberg’s lecture began to make sense to her. At the same time, her thoughts kept returning to the flirty barista in the café.

At least, Laura thought she was flirting with her.

It wasn’t as if she could ask Laf as they would torment her endlessly about it, and her experience with Danny made her cautious. Laura resisted going back to the café for two days and bought an Americano from the campus coffee stall instead on Tuesday. Although it was much cheaper, the lacklustre beverage reminded her why she rarely bothered with coffee. It was bitter, excessively hot, and above all, tasteless compared to the one Carmilla had made for her. The ones she got on Wednesday was even worse. By Thursday morning, Laura’s resolve had crumbled; she wanted a hot chocolate like the one Carmilla had made for Vordenberg, and she’d just have to put up with the inevitable teasing from the beautiful yet infuriating owner.

It was still early when Laura entered the almost full café and spotted Carmilla behind the counter.

“Back again, Cutie? I presume you enjoyed the coffee?”

Laura had spent the journey across campus psyching herself up for this encounter. She was determined not to make a fool of herself in front of this woman again.

“It wasn’t bad, I suppose.”

“Liar.”

The smug smile threw Laura for a moment, but she wasn’t going to back down now. “It takes more than a cup of coffee to impress me, _Carmilla,”_ she said.

“Really?” replied Carmilla, drawing out each syllable slowly. "I guess I’ll just have to have to up my game then, _Cutie_. So, you look like a girl who’s in the mood for a freshly made hot chocolate today.”

_Oh God, yes. Give it to me now!_ “I suppose I could give it a try,” replied Laura with a shrug.

“Your poker face needs work, sweetheart.”

“I already told you; my name is Laura.”

“I know.”

With a wink and a little sashay of her hips that was too smooth to be an accident in Laura’s opinion, Carmilla turned back to the hob and began pouring out a hot chocolate from the same copper cafetière she’d used to make Vordenberg’s drink. Her face was a mask of concentration as she examined the finished product while her tongue stuck out slightly in a way that Laura refused to admit was adorable. Eventually, she seemed satisfied and passed the cup over to Laura.

“That should really be served in a Limoges porcelain cup, but this modern generation doesn’t appreciate the finer things in life.”

“You do know that you sound like someone that’s about three hundred years old right now?”

“Just drink your hot chocolate, Cutie.”

“Whatever you say, Grandma.”

Laura thought Carmilla sounded a little nervous, but she didn’t need to be. The drink was absolute perfection, and she briefly considered skipping her first class of the day to sit down beside the old fireplace in the corner to savour it, perhaps with one of those chocolate chunk cookies in the display cabinet beside the till. She leaned on the counter to take another sip, closing her eyes in sheer pleasure at the taste.

“Cupcake?”

“Yes, Carmilla?” she said dreamily.

She realised her error when she opened her eyes and saw a puzzled grin on Carmilla’s face, a grin that swiftly changed to that teasing smirk Laura was already beginning to dread.

“I’m offering you a cupcake to go with your hot chocolate, Cutie.”

“I knew that!” protested Laura.

“Never doubted it for a second. Perry is an absolute wonder at baking. Hey, do you like fudge?”

“Yes.”

“Toffee?”

“Definitely.”

“And what if they were added to a chocolate sponge and topped with vanilla icing?”

“I would stuff my face with them. Do you have any?”

“I might,” replied Carmilla with a shrug. 

“Carmilla!”

Carmilla grinned before pointing to a spot on the counter beside Laura’s right elbow. When Laura looked down, there was a little cupcake there, topped with white icing and miniature fudge cubes. She was positive it hadn’t been there a few seconds ago.

“Where did that even come from? How did you do that?”

“Magic,” whispered Carmilla.

Laura wasn’t totally sure if Carmilla was joking or not, but the cupcake looked incredible. Just one bite and she was six years old again, helping her mother to make some for her father's birthday.

The thoughts of her mother caught her unawares.

_Oh no, not here. Please, not here._

She had tried so hard to cope since she had returned to Austria. Laura had thrown herself into her studies, trying to forget about the accident. Even though Silas had offered to defer her second year, she had insisted that she was ready to come back. And up to a point, Laura was. She saved her grief for those times when she knew no one would see her break down..

Laura was barely aware of Carmilla shouting, “Perry! Take over for a minute” before she felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. The next thing Laura knew, she was sobbing in one of the armchairs by the fire, drying her eyes and face with a tissue Carmilla had given her. Apart from holding the box ready in case Laura wanted another, the barista seemed uncertain about what to do.

“Do you… want to talk about it?”

Seeing Carmilla look so lost and awkward helped Laura calm down and pull herself together a little.

“My mother,” said Laura. “We were in a bad car accident last year when I went home to Toronto for my summer break. I was driving, and a drunk driver knocked us off the road down an embankment. I suffered some minor injuries, and I’m still getting physiotherapy for my back, but my mother died on the way to the hospital. Some days I can cope, but there are days when every little thing reminds me of her. Like that cupcake. She was the best at baking.”

“Mine too,” replied Carmilla. “When Mother was alive, people used to travel for miles for her pastries and coffee.”

“When did she die, Carmilla?”

“Last year. She was on a hike with her active retirement group in the mountains, and most of them were swept away by a sudden rockslide. We never recovered her body.”

“Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

Carmilla waved it off. “Don’t worry about it; we weren’t close although I had a huge amount of respect for her. But sometimes I think that she adopted me to have someone to carry on the business. I know that sounds bad, but her life seemed to be all about training all of us to take over from her. My sister Mattie looks after the business side of things, William spends his days out back roasting and blending coffee, and I run the café. But before Mother died, she also trained Perry, and it’s uncanny how similar their stuff looks and tastes. I used to bake too, but I only do it now if it’s for someone special.”

“I’m sorry,” she continued. “This isn’t supposed to be about me.”

Laura noticed that Carmilla didn’t sound sad about her mother's death. She seemed more tired and resigned, almost as if she had planned a different life for herself, and it had been snatched away.

The café was beginning to fill up with the morning rush hour commuters, and Perry was starting to look a little panicky as the queue at the till got longer.

“Wait here a moment, Laura,” said Carmilla. She gave her a hand a reassuring squeeze as she rose to her feet.

Laura looked around her as she slipped a tissue into her sleeve. The café was full of tired looking commuters on their way to work, but when she looked closer, the journalist in Laura noticed something else. The people that had managed to get a seat visibly relaxed as she watched them take a drink from their cups. They seemed a little less defeated and stressed with every sip they took. Even those that left as soon as they got their drinks from Perry and Carmilla looked more cheerful and confident as they left the café.

Laura felt drained and embarrassed after breaking down in front of Carmilla. She had been doing so well since she came back to Austria; the university had been understanding and had arranged a grief counsellor and physiotherapist for her. At home in Toronto, her father was back at work and taking steps of his own to cope with the loss of his wife. They made sure to Facetime each other regularly, sometimes talking for hours, other times only for a few minutes, but they were always there for each other. 

Right now, Laura wanted to talk to her father. She checked the time on her phone and saw it was 08:45; that meant it was 02:45 in Toronto, and Sherman Hollis would be home after his shift. If she hurried back to her room, she’d catch him for a quick chat before he went to bed and still make her first class at 10:00. Laura stuffed the cupcake into her bag, grabbed the hot chocolate, and hurried out of the café.

It wasn’t until halfway through Professor Cochrane’s lecture on transcultural communication that Laura realised she hadn’t paid for either the hot chocolate or cupcake. It did not help that the toffee fudge cupcake was unbelievably good. As for the hot chocolate, even though she reheated it in the microwave after a consoling talk with her father, it was still amazing. After class, a lot of students had even asked Laura where she bought her drink. Later, when she passed the Karnstein Kafé on her way back to the off-campus accommodation she shared with Laf, there was a queue of Silas students on the footpath outside. But Laura still felt too ashamed to go back inside and resigned herself to never entering the café again.

However, as she walked home, Laura had a bright idea. When she entered the apartment, she sat down at her rickety desk and took out her phone to log into the _Voice of Silas_ website, the online university. An hour later, after proofreading and editing the article she wrote, Laura pressed _post_.

~0~

Laura was exhausted. It had been her first yoga class in months, but her physiotherapist had recommended that she begin again, and her counsellor agreed. It had been a while since she had done any vigorous exercise, but Laura was already looking forward to the next class. She was back up to date with her studying and assignments, her German was improving in leaps and bounds, and overall, she felt that she was beginning to deal with her life a little better.

The smell of coffee and freshly baked bread reminded Laura that she hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning. A few yards ahead of her, she spotted a dark-haired man loading up a van with baskets of cupcakes and pastries, and as she watched, Perry came running out of a doorway to hand him one more basket. He gave her a jaunty salute before placing it on the passenger seat and driving away.

Somehow, even though she had been avoiding the place, her feet had led her to the Karnstein Kafé. Before she could change her mind, Laura walked briskly up to the entrance and pushed open the door. Perry turned as the entrance bell jingled and gasped when she saw her.

“Laura?”

“Hi, Perry.”

“Oh, thank God!” she whispered. Perry rushed forward and threw her arms around her, causing Laura to squeal a little. Thankfully, Carmilla didn’t seem to be around to hear her, or she would probably never have heard the end of it.

“Where have you been? She’s missed… we’ve missed you so much.”

“I’m back now,” replied Laura, a little nervously. She was beginning to doubt the wisdom of visiting the café and had no idea what to say next. “So, how’s business,” she asked eventually.

 _Could I be any lamer?_ _Just buy something and go._

“Business has been wonderful, thanks to you,” gushed Perry. “Thanks to your review in the campus newspaper, we’ve got a lot of extra customers from the university. We’ve even started to supply the Dean’s office and the Silas Board with coffee and pastries for all their meetings. You just missed William leaving to make another delivery.”

Perry looked like she was about to hug her again, which after the first one, Laura feared would undo a month's healing. Luckily, for her and her almost recovered back, Perry restrained herself.

“How are you, dear? Really?”

Laura didn’t know Perry that well, but she sounded sincere and didn’t deserve the usual cliched answer that Laura gave to people who asked her that same question because they felt they were obliged to.

“The good days are beginning to outnumber the bad ones. I mean, I have my low moments, but I’m getting better at dealing with those.”

Laura knew from Perry’s smile that she had judged her correctly.

“I’m glad you’re back, Laura. Maybe Carmilla will be less mopey now that- “

Carmilla cleared her throat pointedly as she came out from the kitchen. Laura watched Perry’s face drain of colour when she heard it.

“I better check on the brownies,” she said. “Lovely to see you again, dear,” she cried as she went behind the counter and squeezed past Carmilla. The barista watched with bemusement as Perry tried to pull the kitchen door open before realising she was supposed to push it. She then turned to regard Laura, who was busy trying to suppress a fit of giggles.

“Hey, Cupcake.”

“Hey, Carm.”

Carmilla gave her a small smile as she brushed her hair back from her forehead, a gesture Laura found oddly vulnerable. It was unexpected, and already she was rapidly losing her nerve.

“I’m sorry for running off without paying!” she blurted.

Judging by Carmilla’s shocked face, that was the wrong thing to say. Or maybe, Laura thought, it was the volume. She glanced around the café, but everyone seemed fixated on their phones or newspapers. The unnatural quietness, however, told her that they had heard her little outburst. Feeling her cheeks burning, Laura pulled out her wallet at the counter to pay. But her hands began to shake so badly that she dropped it over the edge.

As her eyes began to mist up, Laura felt a warm hand seize her left one and grip it gently. It seemed to anchor her, and she felt the panic gradually ease.

“I’m sorry,” said Laura. “I don’t mean to be like this or dump all my troubles on you, especially after you were so patient with me the last time I was here- “

“Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone,” replied Carmilla, rolling her eyes and giving her hand a final squeeze. “You’ll only ruin my reputation as a hardass. So what can I get you today?”

Pouting slightly because her hand was no longer being held, Laura looked up at the menu board on the wall to gather her thoughts. There seemed to be even more varieties of coffee listed on it than the last time.

“Maybe the house blend again?”

“Good choice. Will has a new espresso blend ready he’s been dying to try out, and you can be the first. Do you have anywhere you need to be because I would really like to serve it properly, and it would be wasted in a takeaway cup?”

Laura didn’t have any classes that day, and she had planned nothing more exciting than studying in the campus library and maybe catching up on the new Dr. Who series. But Carmilla seemed eager for her to try her new coffee, and as she sat in one of the armchairs beside the fire, Laura decided she liked this side of the barista. She was still a little taken aback though when Carmilla brought out two porcelain cups with matching sugar bowl, cream jug, and coffeepot on a gleaming silver tray.

As she held the cup and saucer nervously, Laura felt like a woman from the 19th century in an old-timey dress having her morning coffee in a gothic manor house somewhere in the Austrian countryside. But the coffee tasted wonderful and Carmilla seemed pleased, although she was mostly silent while drinking hers. Laura didn’t mind; sharing a room with Laf meant she got little enough quiet time as it was. There was always some experiment to be done and subsequent cover up/clean up to arrange. Sometimes they even talked in their sleep about their next scientific venture. But silence with Carmilla that morning was reassuring and companionable.

Laura reluctantly left at noon as the café began to fill up with the lunchtime rush. She felt more relaxed and content than she had in a long time. That quiet morning she spent in Carmilla’s company had been just what she needed. There had only been one awkward moment at the end when Laura had attempted to pay, and Carmilla had seemed insulted.

“It’s on the house, Cupcake. That little review of yours was great for business, so it’s the least I could do.”

Laura noticed the hint of steel in her voice, and she didn’t insist. It was yet another side to the woman; while Carmilla seemed to take great pleasure in teasing her, she could be stern when she wanted to be. But Laura knew that she could be kind too, even though Carmilla tried to hide it. There were so many fascinating sides to the woman that Laura decided that she wanted to know more. She had to know more.

~0~

The café got so busy that Carmilla had to take on more staff to deal with the increase in business, but she still worked the morning shift. That suited Laura perfectly, and sometimes when the place was busy, she’d find her hot chocolate already prepared and waiting on the counter for her. If Carmilla wasn’t around that day, one of the new baristas (Sarah Jane or Natalie) would have her drink ready. But when Carmilla served her, it was different. Sometimes she’d say something that had Laura blushing (or fuming because Carmilla always got the last word in) on her way out of the café; other times she seemed to sense when Laura was having a bad or stressful morning. On those occasions, Carmilla would bring her to that quiet spot beside the fire and they would share a pot of hot chocolate together until she was ready to leave. On days like those, Laura always found one of Perry’s cupcakes, a gingerbread man, or one of her chocolate chunk cookies in her bag. How Carmilla snuck them into it without her noticing, she had no idea.

At the end of one snowy day, Laura decided she’d try to spend some time working on her assignment at the cafe. Despite Carmilla’s comical antipathy to anything computer and IT related, Will and Mattie had finally persuaded her to install a Wi-Fi system. She still drew the line at getting a mobile phone, though. Part of Laura hoped Carmilla would be there too, but she doubted she’d be that lucky. But she still couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed when she saw another barista behind the counter.

Laura ordered a large hot chocolate, not trusting the new woman to be anywhere as good as Carmilla. Once she got her drink, she settled down at her usual spot near the fireplace and warmed her hands against the fire for a few minutes. She took a sip of her hot chocolate as she switched on her computer and found it was decidedly average compared to Carmilla’s.

Hours passed, and the sun finally came out to clear away the last snow showers of the year. Laura kept reading, occasionally highlighting a passage here and there for later and finished the first draft of her English assignment. Feeling drowsy from the heat of the fire, she saved all her work and pushed the laptop to one side. Resting her head on her left hand, she resolved to take a few minutes rest before heading back to her dorm. Laura’s eyelids grew heavier, and she decided to close them for a few minutes. As she did, the sounds and bustle of the café gradually faded away until she was no longer aware of them.

Laura had no idea how long she had dozed off for, but she was startled awake by the sound of a tray placed on the table and a gentle touch on her shoulder.

“Cupcake?”

“No,” she protested sleepily. Groaning slightly and rubbing her eyes, Laura looked up to see who had disturbed her. 

“Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty.”

 _“_ Carm _?”_ Laura whispered.

Carmilla leaned down next to her, with that ever-present smirk.

“Good to see you, Cutie,” she said. “I thought maybe you could do with a break or whatever, so I brought you something that might help.”

Breath catching in her throat, Laura looked down to see a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows floating on the top and a fresh-baked apple strudel with vanilla ice cream on the side.

“Carmilla, this is wonderful,” Laura cried, momentarily thrown off guard by the generous gift of not only her favourite drink but also something sweet.

“Meh, it’s nothing,” said Carmilla with a shrug.

One other thing Laura had noticed over the past few months was that despite Carmilla being more extrovert and outgoing while dealing with customers, she tended to be quieter, almost shy when she was around her family or people she knew well like Perry.

And lately, around her too.

But Carmilla also hated being called out whenever she did something kind for her and would redouble her teasing until Laura was a flustered mess. Just once, she wished she could get the last word in.

She reached down to grab her wallet, but Carmilla grasped her hand. Laura looked up in puzzlement and found her face was only inches away from her own. Her breath caught in her throat as Carmilla starred back before patting her gently on the cheek.

“It’s on the house, Cupcake,” Carmilla said quietly, her gaze steady. “Don’t worry yourself.”

And like all the times before, Carmilla winked as she left, leaving Laura to catch her breath as her heart seemed to flutter in her chest.

The hot chocolate was as wonderful as ever, and the apple strudel was incredible. Laura savoured every bite, and barely restrained herself from licking the plate clean when it was finished.

“She must really like you, Gidget.”

Laura didn’t scream, but she wasn’t far from it. Sitting across from her in the other chair was Mattie; she hadn’t even heard her approach. It was like she just appeared out of thin air.

Mattie always made her nervous because on those rare times they met, Laura usually felt as if she was being judged for something. What it was she didn’t know, but she was probably failing at it anyway or at best, barely scraping through. But she was Carmilla’s sister, and Laura desperately wanted Mattie to like her. She couldn’t have said why, but she knew in her heart that it was important.

“I didn’t think you normally came to see my sister in the evenings,” said Mattie.

“I was having trouble with a class assignment,” replied Laura, pointing to her textbooks and notes. “I thought a change of scene would help.”

Mattie nodded as if she approved, but once again, Laura had the impression she’d missed something.

“You’re a Silas student? Journalism, I believe?”

Laura nodded, but she knew well that Mattie was already aware of that. She was making conversation for some reason that Laura couldn’t figure out. It was odd, but she always felt dumb around Mattie.

“What did you mean when you said she must really like me? Who are you talking about?”

That was, judging by Mattie’s disappointed expression, the wrong question. “Oh great, there’s actually two of them,” she muttered before she looked back at Laura. “You’ll figure it out eventually, Bella. And I, for one, will be delighted when you do.”

“Thanks, I think?”

Mattie smiled at her as she got up from the chair. “Just don’t take too much longer about it, okay?” She walked past Laura’s chair and disappeared through a door behind her, a door that Laura had never noticed before. She was still staring at it five minutes later, wondering only one thing.

_What was that all about?_

She had a sense of gaining some approval or blessing from Mattie, but for what she didn’t know. Too weary to figure it out, Laura gathered her stuff and brought the empty plate and mug to the counter. She lingered at the counter for a few minutes to see if Carmilla would return. But she didn’t, and it was a very disappointed Laura that left the café.

_Worst crush ever._

She came to a halt in the middle of the path, causing a few of the locals to grumble as they walked around her. Laura barely noticed them; she was still coming to terms with the sudden realisation that she had developed a full-blown crush on Carmilla. What was she going to do? She had been in a few brief relationships at home, but this was different. How would she even begin to find out if Carmilla felt the same way? And what if she didn’t?

“For God’s sake, Hollis, just calm down and breathe,” she muttered.

She took a series of deep breaths until she felt ready to walk again.

“Laura, you’re only a year away from your journalism degree. You can figure this out,” she whispered. “Be gentle with yourself,” she continued, repeating the words from some poem her counsellor often quoted to her.

Feeling calmer, she walked the short distance back to her accommodation, already forming a plan of action in her head.

~0~

Laura began to spend more of her free afternoons and evenings at the cafe. Sometimes Carmilla joined her on her break if she wasn’t busy or if she wasn’t meeting with Mattie and Will on café business. Gradually though, Laura managed to learn a few things about the café and her over the following weeks. 

Carmilla’s mother had run the café after the death of her husband, and the Karnstein name had been synonymous in Austria with quality coffee since the 17th century. As well as serving tea coffee chocolate and tobacco in their coffee houses, they had been centres of political intrigue and places where people gathered to read the latest newspapers, pick up their letters and even trade stocks.

But one day, Carmilla told her that she was supposed to take over the family business when her father died, but she had an offer from the University of Paris to study philosophy that she wanted to pursue. Her mother wouldn’t hear of it, and after a blazing row with her, an eighteen-year-old Carmilla decided to run away with her girlfriend, Ell. They planned to take a train to the airport and from there, catch a plane to Paris. Ell had promised her that she’d look after all the travel arrangements and their money (most of which was Carmilla’s). Carmilla waited almost the whole day in Silas train station before her distraught mother finally found her. Lilita Morgan told her that Ell had already left for Paris the previous day with her boyfriend, a boyfriend Carmilla hadn’t even known about.

Laura was horrified; how could anyone do that to a person, especially someone as kind as Carmilla? The woman looked so heartbroken when she finished the tale, especially when the tears began to roll down her face. That was unacceptable to Laura; Carmilla deserved better. She spent the rest of the afternoon, holding Carmilla close as they squeezed into one armchair, letting her cry herself out on her shoulder and wishing she could do more for her. Laura would have still been there if Mattie hadn’t noticed what was happening. Both helped Carmilla to her feet, and Mattie mouthed a _thank you_ to Laura as she took her through the empty café into the kitchen.

When Laura returned the next day, Carmilla was in good spirits again. It may have been her imagination, but Laura thought her hot chocolate seemed even more delicious than usual that day. The day before wasn’t mentioned by either of them, but any initial awkwardness was quickly dispelled when Laura asked her for more stories about the café, something Carmilla was only too eager to do.

According to Carmilla, the Karnstein family were master coffee merchants and blenders, with secret blends and age-old techniques for roasting that were only passed down to those that were meant to carry on the business. She assured Laura that family members had been disinherited or even killed for sharing their secrets with outsiders. With the advent of the 20th century, the business was on its knees due to the constant infighting and murders. Techniques and recipes were irretrievably lost, and two world wars killed off many of the younger generations that would have been expected to take over the business. Finally, in 1954, the remaining Karnsteins came to their senses in time to fight off a takeover bid from their hated rivals, the Corvaes. All the cafes (except for the original one in Silas) were sold off to put the business back on a firmer footing. Even then, it would have failed except for Carmilla’s mother, Lilita Morgan. While not a Karnstein herself, she had married the last surviving heir, introduced new methods of her own and wrote down as many of the old recipes as she could.

Laura was amazed at how Carmilla could make coffee brewing sound so seductive and thrilling yet carry a certain frisson of danger or even horror. From Lilita’s notes, William had rediscovered the infamous ‘Lophi’ blend that Marcus Karnstein was said to have stolen from a demon of the same name in 1874 and was thought lost in a fire in 1904. Its smooth taste was belied by a caffeine kick that made it very popular with early morning customers. Another one that he was currently researching was for a Moroccan spiced coffee that was last served at a ball in 1698 held to celebrate the betrothal of a local landowner and an unnamed Karnstein ancestor murdered at the same event.

Laura could have listened to Carmilla’s stories all day, but the barista was usually busy and often didn’t get to finish them for days before beginning a new one.

“I have to make sure you come back, Cutie,” she said with that little smirk that still drove Laura crazy. “Otherwise, I’ll lose my whole air of mystery.”

“You may think you’re my own personal Scheherazade,” replied Laura with a smile. “But I know the real reason.”

“Oh, I do love an educated woman,” purred Carmilla. “So that does make you Shahryar in this little scenario? And what pray tell is the real reason, O great king?”

“Because you love me.”

Carmilla’s mouth dropped open.

“Or at least, you like me enough to keep giving me free drinks and free food,” Laura says, gesturing to the table between them.

Sighing, Carmilla says, “Really, Cupcake? And here I thought it was my charm and engaging conversation that interested you. You’re only using me for free stuff?”

Laura was a lot wiser to Carmilla’s behaviour at this stage and knew a fake pout when she saw one. “Maybe,” she said. “Or maybe,” she continued while leaning over the table, “it’s for other reasons.”

Once again, Carmilla seemed taken aback; she licked her lips, which Laura found incredibly distracting, and it was only through a herculean effort on her part that she didn’t do the same. Before Carmilla could respond, the door to the kitchen crashed open and William came running over to them.

“Carmilla, I’ve found it. I know how to make the Kurdish coffee roast that Eliza Karnstein brought back from Kirkuk. Oh, hi Laura. Oh dear,” he continued, suddenly looking sheepish.

“God damn it, Willy boy,” Carmilla growled, and for the first time, Laura felt a little afraid of the barista and very concerned for William’s continuing good health. But Carmilla’s expression softened as she got up, and she gave Laura’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze as she passed. However, she wasn’t finished there; leaning over, her face only inches from Laura’s, Carmilla brushed a stray hair over her ear to one side and whispered, “we’re not done here, _Laura_.”

“Oh my God, you actually called me by my name,” squealed Laura.

Carmilla just smiled and booped her on the nose with her index finger before walking away. “Come on, little bro, tell me what’s so good about this new blend and how many auctions we’ll have to attend to find the right equipment.”

“Damn it, Hollis,” groaned Laura when they were gone. “You just couldn’t be smooth for a few seconds longer?”

~0~

The following Monday, Laura had an assignment to do as part of her science elective. She had to pick a series of newspaper articles that had been published in the previous twelve months about vaccines, perform a fact check on each one, and rate their truthfulness. To do that, she had to get access at least three different scientific journals, all of which she discovered were behind paywalls and on top of that, the assignment had to be ready by the end of the week. It was a tedious, frustrating job, and eventually, Laura pleaded with Laf to help her out. Not that there was much begging involved as Laf seemed to live and breathe science to the exclusion of almost everything else. However, Laf wanted to do it in the café after classes had finished for the day, and Laura couldn’t exactly say no. They were just a little too excited at the thoughts of finally meeting _the Carmilla_ in Laura’s opinion.

“I just can’t wait to see if she’s as good as people claim,” said Laf. “They say she’s hot too.”

“I can’t really say that I’ve noticed,” replied Laura, already on guard. “But her coffee and hot chocolate are wonderful.”

“Whatever you say, crushes on baristas.”

“It’s not a crush!”

“As Mr. Darcy once said, methinks the lady doth protest too much.”

“Oh my God, Laf. No wonder you’re failing English. That’s from Hamlet.”

“Who?”

“Hamlet. The play you picked to write for your end of year assignment. The assignment I’m helping you with in return for you helping me with mine?”

“Oh, right. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you change the subject by the way,” replied Laf as they pushed open the café door.

“Laf, if you ruin anything for me, I’ll never speak to you again- “

Laura wasn’t watching where she was going and bumped into Perry, who was serving the table closest to the door.

“Oh God Perry, I’m so sorry- “

“Oh, don’t worry about it, dear. I’ve just tidied up your usual spot by the fire,” whispered Perry. “Hello,” she continued when she saw Laf frozen in place, still holding the door open.”

“Hi,” squeaked Laf. “I’m Laf. I’m a friend of Laura’s. Hi. And damn, I already said that- “

“Yes, you did, dear. Any friend of Laura’s is very welcome here. Why don’t you both take a seat and let me know when you’re ready to order. I’m Lola Perry, by the way, but you can call me Perry.”

She offered her hand to Laf, who shook it just a little too vigorously and then stammered an apology. Meanwhile, Laura was watching and glorying in every second of Laf’s awkwardness.

“Not a word, Hollis,” they muttered when Perry left them.

“I didn’t say anything,” said Laura smugly.

“Come on, that fire looks good, so why don’t we sit down, and you can explain why the woman you totally don’t have a crush on gives you such a sweet spot.”

They sat down in the two armchairs, and Laf began looking over what Laura had prepared. They weren’t impressed and wasted no time in telling her why. But one thing Laura appreciated about her friend was that she always knew where she stood with them. Laf never sugar-coated anything they said. Occasionally their attention drifted whenever they caught sight of Perry, but after an hour, Laura had a much better understanding of her assignment and a few handy tips from Laf on how to download academic papers for free. Sadly, her friend seemed no closer to getting to grips with Hamlet, although they were able to quote speeches and large portions of the text from memory alone.

There was no sign of Carmilla until later that evening. Laura waved eagerly when she saw her, but to her surprise, the barista just nodded before joining Perry at the counter.

“Oh, trouble in paradise?” said Laf. “Hey, Laura, what’s wrong?”

“She blanked me,” whispered Laura. “She’s never done that. Why would she do that?”

Laf turned to look at Carmilla, who was currently engaged in conversation with a nervous looking Perry.

“Let me try something for a minute.”

Much to Laura’s surprise, Laf grabbed her hand and tightened their grip when she tried to pull away. She was about to demand an explanation when she saw Laf was discreetly looking in the mirror above the fireplace.

“Don’t look now, but your girlfriend looks as if she’s trying to set me on fire with her mind- I said don’t look, Hollis. Right, I see what’s happening here.”

“What is it? Tell me?!”

Laf gave her a pitying look. “I swear to Darwin, the pair of you are the piniest pines I have ever come across. Okay, she’s coming over this way, so act natural.”

Carmilla arrived at the table with a hot chocolate for Laura, a large Lophi (extra dark roast version) for Laf and two slices of New York style cheesecake. Although she seemed tense and awkward, she greeted Laura and Laf in a friendly manner.

“Wow, it’s nice to meet you at last,” Laf said while offering their hand. “I’m Laf, they/them pronouns, and Laura here never shuts up about you.”

“Oh, for the love of Dumbledore,” groaned Laura

Carmilla glanced at Laf’s outstretched hand before politely returning the handshake. “A pleasure. Can I get either of you anything else?”

“Nah, I’m good,” replied Laf, making themselves comfortable in the chair. “Don’t worry; our projects are due by the end of the week. You’ll have Laura back to yourself then.”

Laura could feel her face burning. “I am going to smother you in your sleep tonight, Laf.”

“Good to know,” replied Carmilla, her face as neutral as her tone. “By the way, _Laf_ , before I came over here, I had a fascinating conversation with Perry. She asked me to mention that she’s off in half an hour. You know, just in case you’re interested.”

“Oh, right,” stammered Laf.

“She likes pizza, especially from that place three doors down, Pitsa I Thanato. Kirsch, the owner and his wife Sarah Jane, are old friends of mine. Just tell them you I sent you. But until then, please make yourself comfortable and call me if you need anything else.”

Carmilla walked off, leaving Laf open-mouthed and Laura smirking.

“That’s what you get for trying to be my wingman, idiot.”

“Excuse me _idiot_ , but which one of us has a date in thirty minutes?”

“You suck.”

Laf sighed. “Look, you and Miss Leather Pants 2020 back there have been sub-flirting with each other for months. You obviously like each other and don’t insult my intelligence by denying it. So why don’t the pair of you get on with it already? Women like Perry and Carmilla only come around once in a lifetime.”

“Why do you have to be right all the time?” sighed Laura.

~0~

A week later, Laura returned to the café by herself after helping Laf prepare for their second date with Perry. Thankfully, her friend was too nervous and preoccupied to worry about what Laura might be doing that evening. After an hour, she glanced up from her notes to see Carmilla placing her usual hot chocolate on the table and a small plate with the apple strudel she had eaten once before.

“Carm, I could really get used to you spoiling ne like this,” she teased. “This is wonderful.”

“You’re worth spoiling, Cupcake. So, tell me, how did last week’s assignment go?”

Laura had to take a sip or two of her hot chocolate before she could answer.

“Laf got a C, which is the highest mark they’ve ever got in a non-science exam, and they’re still in shock. But I got an A.”

“You worked hard for it, and it was well deserved _,”_ said Carmilla with one of her rare beautiful smiles. “I’m afraid I’m busy this evening as I let Perry off at lunchtime to get ready for her date, but I wanted to make sure you got this.”

“Thanks, Carm. You’re the best.”

“I know, Cupcake.”

“Arrogant too.”

“It’s not arrogant when it’s the truth, Cutie. There is just one last thing.”

She slid her hands across the table to cover Laura’s and gave them a gentle squeeze. 

“I am delighted to get you to myself again,” she said. 

Laura shook her head in amused fondness when Carmilla left and began to eat her apple strudel. It was delicious and freshly made, just the way she liked it. As she swallowed the last forkful, something occurred to Laura. All the baked goods were handmade fresh by Perry throughout the day. According to Carmilla, Perry wasn’t around since this afternoon, so who had made the dessert for her? Sensing somehow that it was important, she wracked her brains trying to figure it out.

_I used to bake too, but I only do it now if it’s for someone special._

_She must really like you, Gidget._

“Oh, Carm,” she gasped.

Laura got very little study done that night. Or sleep for that matter.

~0~ 

With her second-year exams looming, Laura began to spend all her evenings at the café. It was an oasis of calm in her day, and she felt she got more studying done there than anywhere else. Carmilla was very protective of her study time and ensured that her usual table was always available for her, no matter how busy the café was. Laura couldn’t have appreciated Carmilla’s generosity enough, but she always made sure to leave at least half an hour before closing time.

Except for one evening.

At eight o clock that night, Laura was exhausted and decided to take a breather from her work. She marked her place in the textbook and decided to take a quick power nap. She felt that a few minutes rest wouldn’t hurt her progress.

But when she woke, she found a blanket covering her and the old-fashioned clock on the mantelpiece said it was almost ten o’clock, a good thirty minutes past closing time. Carmilla was sitting in the other chair with a book in her hands that looked at least fifty years older than her. Laura was enchanted at the rare sight of Carmilla with her guard down for once, absorbed in reading _Le Premier Homme_ by Camus.

“Tut tut, Cupcake. Sleeping on the job?” said Carmilla without looking up from her book.

“Oh, dammit,” Laura muttered. I am so sorry for that and I know its past closing but I was just so tired and I’ve been working so hard- “

“Slow down, Cutie, I can’t keep up.” Carmilla smiled at her as she placed the book to one side (no bookmarks or curled back page corners for her, Laura noted). “I’m going to make you one of my mother’s special teas before you go. It’ll help you sleep properly tonight, and you’ll feel much better in the morning.”

“Thanks, Carm,” Laura replied. She snuggled under the blanket and stifled a yawn as Carmilla went into the kitchen. The barista had been so considerate to her lately, and Laura didn’t know what she would have done without her support. She wanted to acknowledge it in some way, but Laura was so tired that she didn’t know how to say what she really wanted to say.

“Here you go, Cupcake. I could practically hear you thinking in the kitchen. Is everything okay?”

Carmilla was sitting on the arm of the chair, so close that Laura could feel the warmth of her. Laura reached out with both hands and grasped the cup but didn’t let go.

“Carm,” she whispered. “You know, don’t you?”

Carmilla held her gaze but didn’t respond immediately. She looked thoughtful for a moment before giving Laura a barely perceptible nod.

It was good enough for Laura. She took the cup Carmilla offered her and lay against her left side. Carmilla put her arm around her shoulder and let her rest there until Laura finished the tea.

~0~

Laura found her exams a lot easier than she expected, but when the last one was over, she knew the hardest part of the week was still ahead of her. While she had got to know more people at Silas in the last few months, they’d already compared notes about the exams and what answers they gave. Her next to last call was to her puzzled father.

“Sweetie, much as I love your calls, why have you called me when you could be talking to her?”

“Who, Dad?”

“Laura Eileen Hollis, don’t act dumb with me.”

Laura knew she was in trouble when her father used her full name.

“Dad,” she pleaded. “It’s complicated. And how did you know I hadn’t spoken to her?”

“Give your old man some credit, Laura. I was the same at your age when I met your mother. I’ve seen how happy you look when you speak about Carmilla. So, I’ll want an introduction to the woman who put the light back in my baby girl’s eyes whenever I get a chance to fly to Austria.”

“I think you’ll love her, Dad. Mom would have too.”

“I know. Because you love that girl and so would we. So just promise me that you’ll get out of your own way for once and tell her how you feel.”

Laura knew he was right, Her life had been a mere existence after her mother’s death until one woman with her kindness, generosity, and even her incessant teasing had gradually shown her that life was about more than existing from day to day, that it was still full of wonder and that she mattered. A friendship had grown between them that had blossomed into something more and she needed to act on it.

So, when she entered the café late that evening, she was puzzled to find it empty and in semi-darkness. Carmilla was alone by the counter.

Fine, Laura thought. Totally not nerve wracking at all. This is fine.

“How did your finals go, Cupcake?”

“I think they went well,” said Laura as she leaned on the counter beside her.

“Good,” said Carmilla. There was a takeaway cup beside her with Laura’s name written in elegant cursive on it.

“Is that for me?”

“Maybe.” Carmilla kept pulling it out of reach but relented when Laura gave her best puppy eyes expression. As she took it from her, she noticed that there was a phone number written on the opposite side.

She looked up to see Carmilla wink at her.

“A little something to congratulate you on the end of your exams, Laura.”

“Oh my God, you finally got a mobile phone!”

“I did,” sighed Carmilla. “I just thought… it might come in useful. For something.”

Laura was stunned for a moment at how sad Carmilla suddenly sounded. What was wrong?

_Oh._

_Oh no, I’m doing it again._

Laura placed the hot chocolate carefully to one side and reached for Carmilla’s right hand, entwining her fingers with hers before doing the same with the other hand.

“I’m sorry I’m such an oblivious idiot- no, don’t interrupt me because I have to say this now because I lose my nerve when you look at me like that. I love you. You have been the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me, and I couldn’t have got through the last few months without you. Everything I’ve succeeded in and overcome in that time has been because of you. Carmilla, you have been more than a friend to me, and not once have you ever looked for anything from me that I wasn’t ready to give you with all my heart. And I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to realise that. I love you so much that I don’t want to imagine my life without you for a second longer.”

“Whoah,” replied Carmilla. She stared at her in awe for a second before peppering her knuckles with kisses.

“Laura, I think I loved you when you first walked into my café that Monday morning in February.”

“You remembered?”

“I treasure the memories of all the times you came in here. Those were the times when I began to feel truly alive again. I felt like someone else apart from my family or Perry actually saw me as I wished to be seen. Even when I doubted it was possible, I fell in love with you a little more every time you came in. Even if you didn’t feel the same way, I was just glad to have you in my life and I was prepared to settle for your friendship if that’s all you offered. In short, I love you too, and I’m going to kiss you now if that’s okay.”

“You better,” growled Laura.

Carmilla chuckled as she tilted her head forward a little, and Laura’s breath caught in her throat now that those lips were mere inches away.

“You just wanted me all to yourself tonight?” Laura whispered.

“But of course,” Carmilla replied in that husky voice that made Laura weak in the knees. “And knowing you as well as I do, I was certain you’d miss the closed sign on the door and come in anyway.”

“Oh, you think you’re so clever, Karnstein, don’t you?”

The shy look Carmilla gave her was very gratifying for Laura’s ego. She closed the distance between them, placed her fingers on either side of her face, and kissed her on the lips.

It was slow and soft at first, growing more heated as Carmilla entwined her fingers in Laura’s hair. The hot chocolate was knocked over, but neither woman noticed. They finally broke off the kiss to rest their foreheads against together while Laura brushed the tip of her nose against Carmilla’s, making her giggle.

“You know Cutie, we could continue this in the privacy of my upstairs apartment and away from the windows.”

“Good, because I’m about two seconds away from ravishing you on this counter.”

“I didn’t know you were into exhibitionism, Cutie, but I’ll remember that kink for future reference.”

“What part of two seconds away from ravishing you do you not get, Karnstein?”

“At least let me lock the door first.”

“Race you,” cried Laura.

Somehow, despite Laura’s efforts, Carmilla beat her to the door by a split second, although it took her three attempts to pull down the shutter with Laura hugging her from behind and kissing the back of her neck. She then grabbed Laura by the hand, stopped briefly to turn off the remaining lights and they disappeared through the doorway near the fireplace.

~0~

When Mattie arrived the following morning to discuss the accounts with Carmilla, she was puzzled to find the café still locked and a worried Perry standing outside. She let her in to begin baking for the first rush of the day. William arrived shortly afterward, complaining that he couldn’t get in contact with Carmilla. That worried both siblings until Mattie decided to check her apartment.

When she opened the door near the fireplace, the first thing Mattie noticed was two sets of clothes scattered all the way up the stairs. Closing it quietly, she sneaked up the steps to the room at the top that was Carmilla’s bedroom. Her door was ajar slightly, and Mattie paused for a moment before sneaking a peek through the gap.

Carmilla was in bed fast asleep, her arm wrapped protectively around Laura who was snoring softly and had her head tucked under Carmilla’s chin.

Mattie closed the door softly, smiling broadly to herself. The accounts could wait another day.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it. I promise I'm working on the next chapter of The Patient as we speak and it's looking good after its first edit.


End file.
